no
apologies for them.

Twice he left the ranch, once to be gone overnight, intending that it
should be a mystery where he went. But, since he rode the north trail
which led to the Western Lumber camp, no one doubted that he had gone
to see Bayne Trevors, in whom he still stoutly believed.

Between the 15th and the memorable 30th of June, Bud Lee saw little of
Judith Sanford. She was here, there, everywhere; busy, preoccupied.
Marcia he talked with twice; once when they rode together while
Hampton, racing recklessly down a rocky slope for a shot at a deer got
a fall, a sore shoulder and made his debut in certain new swear-words;
once when all of the guests, with the exception of Farris, who was
painting the portrait of the stallion, Nightshade, and the major, who
had "letters to write," came out to watch the horse-breaking. This
time, introduced to Mrs. Langworthy, Lee got for his bow a remarkably
cold stare. Others might forget, here in the open, the distinction
between people of the better class and their servants--not Mrs.
Langworthy, if you please.

Having created his imaginary woman, Lee was ripe to fall in love with
her when she came. He had thrilled to the touch of Judith's hand that
night in the cabin; his thoughts, many and many a day, centred about
the superbly alive beauty that was Judith's. The fact disturbed him
vaguely. The thought that he was very deeply interested in her in the
good old way between man and maid, never entered his stubborn head.
She was as far removed from his ideal woman as the furthermost star in
the infinite firmament. Perhaps it was this very disquiet within him,
caused by Judith, which now turned his thoughts to Marcia.

"That's the sort of woman," he told himself stoutly. "A man's woman;
his other self, not just a pardner; the necessary other side of him,
not just the same side in a different way."

Marcia had little, feminine ways of helplessness which turned
flatteringly to the strength of the other sex. Judith asked no man to
aid her in mounting her horse; Marcia coquettishly slipped a daintily
slippered foot into a man's palm, rising because of his strength.

Now, when his thoughts went to Judith, Bud Lee turned them dexterously
to Marcia, making his comparisons, shaping them to fit into his pet
theory. When, days passing, he did not see Judith, he told himself
that he was going to miss Marcia when she left. When one day he came
unexpectedly upon Judith and w